A Woman's World
by Solo Loco Ellingson-Rose
Summary: Ichigo's pretty good at improvising, we all know that. But how do you think he'll do when he wakes up in an unknown city, and everything he knows is flipped around? No pairings, AU Gender bender, mainly Fem!Ikkaku and Fem!Kenpachi, but there'll be others.


Hey there! Rose has written another Bleach fic! And it's not about Mayuri! I've had the idea for this stewing for a while now, and I've really been wanted to write it, so I finally am. I really don't like this "prologue" very much, because I wanted a long first chapter, but I would up getting a little too far a little too fast, and figured I might as well end it where I was.

I've never written Ichigo before, but I've never really liked him either, so I'm really afraid that as this continues he's going to wind up really OOC. I'll try my best though!

Note: The title is TEMPORARY. I absolutely could not come up with anything better. In fact, I _almost_ like it the way it is, but not quite. It's a work in progress.

Disclaimer: I _**do not**_ own Bleach, or anything from it. Kubo Tite does.

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Prologue: City Strawberry

After months and months of being a Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo was used to getting tossed around.

It wasn't uncommon for Ichigo to wake up groggily, head swimming and bones aching, after a particularly extraordinary fight. He'd done it, in fact, more than once in the process of rescuing Rukia from Soul Society that one time…

Waking up in a place barren place or cave he didn't recognize was not uncommon. Waking up in an alley in the center of an unknown, bustling city however, was nowhere near this side of normal.

Head throbbing, Ichigo sat up slowly, his large hand coming up to rest on his fiery orange hair. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked around again, trying to get his bearings; he got nothing. This place wasn't some forgotten corner of Karakura town - that was for certain. The buildings were too tall, the population too dense, the sounds too… Not Kakakura. Ichigo's hometown wasn't small by any stretch of the word, but it was nothing like this; even from his poor vantage point, the city was obviously massive.

Unable to figure anything else to do, Ichigo stood, and ambled his way out of the alley. Most of the people in the area seemed to be on the other side of the street; he seemed to be on the more shady side of things. Exhaling, Ichigo settled his hands to his hips, frustration thinly veiled.

The street before him was busy, and contrasted radically with buildings behind him. The concrete beneath him seemed to be the last bit of semi-clean before the city met the slums.

"Oi! Orange-boy! What'cha think yer doing in Itazu territory?"

Curtly turning, Ichigo turned to face his addressor, anger veins twitching.

The voice belonged to an insanely pierced-up thug who clearly thought more than due of himself. He looked rather like he would have fit in quite well in the 11th Division, but clearly lacked the fighting ability – three others thugs came up behind Ichigo, herding him a little further into the alley, and two joined the first – which was why he compensated with numbers.

"Well this brings back a couple of Junior High memories…" Ichigo, muttered to himself sullenly.

"What'cha say, kid - you saying somethin' 'bout me?"

_Inferiority complex much?..._ Ichigo thought. Aside from waking up at a completely unknown location, he felt odd, which only served to deepen his aggravation.

The pathetic brute began talking again, and was well along the path of "Can't talk, eh? We can fix that… Get hi-!" before he was cut off with two swift feet to the face. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden attack, and opened further when he saw the assailant. A well-toned, bald woman had just descended from the sky, breaking her fall with the now crumpled body of the formerly conscious thug. Alighting from the head and shoulders of her perch, the woman raised one eyebrow mockingly, daring the others to do something; the bokken she brandished in her left hand also helped quite a bit in that respect. Without their leader, the other petty mobsters quickly fled the scene and away from the newcomer.

Prodding the limp body beside her, the woman snickered, moved her free hand to her jutting hip, and looked at Ichigo, who until then had simply remained standing dumbly. Upon further inspection the woman had red, tattoo-like markings framing her eyes, a strong but still feminine face, and large dark eyes. The simple white tank-top she wore revealed scars along her arms and shoulders; hell, she looked like a thug herself, but she clearly wasn't weak. Sauntering over to him, she wasn't much less than Ichigo's height, and as she stepped out of the shadows, the light caught her smooth head and made it gleam.

Mouth agape as he suddenly realized what he was looking at, Ichigo simply stared, mind blown.

This frightening woman resembled Ikkaku far too much for his liking.

Cocking her head at Ichigo's state, the bald woman arched her brow again.

She gave a sardonic scoff. He still did nothing.

"Yer kinda stupid, aren't ya?"

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Author's Notes:

Yeah, that didn't quite go the way I wanted it to, but I figure it's a start. Before I began writing, I planned the titles for the first few chapters so I could actually have short-term goals to reach for once. I could really pull the story along too much further than this without cutting into the points of the next chapter, so that's why it's weirdly short.

Don't worry, I intend to make the next chapter longer! I should also be uploading it pretty soon, so it won't be an insane wait like there is with _everything else I write_.

Please read and review!


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